I Love One And Only One
by Lavenderpaw
Summary: She is loved by two guys and one will go as far as to hold her captive in order to make her side with him.Can Jake get to Rose in time or will gradually she fall prey to Yang's charm and forget the real Jake?Sequeal to Please,Keep Faith In Me.Finished!
1. Almost admitting

**A/N:**Yes,this is the sequeal to my summer hit Please,Keep Faith In Me.Guranteed to be better or at least the same or your valuable reading time back.lol.Humor,maybe I should put that back into my stories sometime.Anyways,this is more of a reversal but anywho,read onward & this is before The Love Cruise and I mean _right_ before Love Cruise.No spoilers though,sorry.

_In Paris on the Eiffel tower (the Dream Realm version...)_

Rose stood atop the nine-hundred and eighty-six foot structure overlooking the orange kindled city that seemed to be flooded in sheer brightness,almost like they were long strips of gold bars the color of copper with pitch black tops that were the roofs.She inhaled the brisk,fresh air that greatly felt like actual air and smiled to herself approvingly;this was surely one of her best and least conseqeuntial chooses the teenager had ever made.Surely,her and Jake were safe here.

"I guess you could say the city is the light of these French people's life,"His suave voice filled the night sky as he came up alongside her,unbiddenly putting an arm around her shoulders as he did."But your the light of mine,"he grinned at her sideways."How've been doing,Rose?"

"Fine now that you're here,"She replied high-spiritedly and moved closer until no space except their heads remained apart,as they were admiring the shimmering lights."They're pretty,huh?"

"Yeah."Jake admitted truthfully,tightening his arm only slightly."But they'll never match you."

His standard words of affection went deep into Rose and made a rush of happiness filter into her and spread to every part of her being,because she believed him and he believed her.Rose now trusted everything they spoke to one another as true and meaningful,though they had to be exceedingly careful and avoid each other in real life most of the time,here they were free of all the pressures to be _enemies_.It was strange,because precisely five months ago they were that.

"You remembered not to eat supper again,right?"Rose asked him,a bit absently as the intensity of the sea of orange and Jake's contact began to lull her into a perfect dreamy state of mind.

"I've done it for four nights."Jake sounded wide awake and went on ask."Are you awake?"

"Hmm?Oh!"She took a step back in surprise,making out the dragon in his human form in front of her whom was giving her a bit of a puzzled look."No,I'm fine.I was just comtemplating."

His face drew a blank."Is that some sort of French plate game?I only brought regular ones."

"_Non,ne'cest pas une assiette_."Rose laughed softly,her accent prompt and perfect.

"You speak French?"Jake inquired with an impressed note,walking over to a picinic bench.

"It was mandated we learn a second language when doing business with members of the clan that were gathered in scattered foreign countries.The Huntsman also speaks it and taught me."

"Speakin' of which,"His voice and eyes suddenly reflected worry as the two seated themselves directly across from one another."Is he planning on resuming finding the remaining three skulls?"

Rose shook her head."He's postponed it because their's been an oppsion to using the skulls on magical creatures and completely wiping them away."she sighed in exasperation and continued on."Apparently,some like hunting magical creatures for the sport.Not just to eliminate them all."

"You mean there's a divide?"He appeared intrigued.

"Pretty much but there's always been conflicts amongst the Huntsclan over different oppions."

"Hey,let's try a famous French sub."Jake changed the subject,his interest on the matter sated.

_Later on a starlit boat ride..._

The stars that clung in the ebony sky above appeared tiny but in the multitude,growing only a bit larger randomly in their silverish spangles.Though Jake had wanted to use his dragon tail as a makeshift paddle,Rose had insisted on him using the traditional lengthy pole.A little grudingly he had agreed and brought his arms up and back in powerful strokes down the narrow current.

It was man-made,however.Under decorative bridges and the occasional elegant ivory-colored swan that moved pass them,they were utterly alone.Rose sat near the back,enchanted at all of the unique sceneary.The long wooden boat glided gently against the tranquil,dark water which looked smooth and undisturbed enough to touch.But this was a dream,anything was possible.

"At first I would have rather just gone through some tunnel of love,"Jake commented sheepishly as he finally ceased his strideful strokes and settled down beside her,spreading out his arms the length of the back top of the boat and closing his eyes."But this is a lot nicer I think,good pick."

"Only the best."Rose replied confirmingly and rested her hand on his knee,which he clasped.

The two were that way for a long time,staring up into the sky at the seemingly endless stars that dotted the firmament and occasionally blinked.A inner hesitance in Rose was cracking down hard on her nerves,more so then ever before.They had been here on their first dream date only several weeks ago and she had nearly told Jake the truth,nearly had found the courage to tell him with all her heart that she loved him.But what if they awoken?What if he didn't love her in return?

"Jake."She began slowly,biting her lower lip and almost without realising it,loosened her grip.

"Yes,Rose?"He asked back,smiling casually at her through the marble-ish cast of night lighting.

Her brain wracked with malfunction towards forming the right words now that they were in one of the most romantic settings imaginable but her heart was accelerating with the passion she felt and the need to get it out in the open.Ambivalence had caught her but looking in his constantly familiar eyes that were bright and self-assured,she longed for some of it and knew he gave it to her and she did the same for him.They completed albeit they contrasted each other;she sighed.

"Jake,"She straightened up and turned in her seat to face him,clearing her throat."I have to tell you something that I just have to get off my chest right here and right now.I'm just afraid that..."

"Afraid?"He laughed nonchalantly,easing up into a sitting position and giving her a little grin at her admission."This coming from a former ruthless,evil dragon slaying ninja she-witch."his cool demeanor faltered when he covered his face with one of his hands,slightly embarrassed."I think I've been hanging around my best friends so long that I'm starting to repeat them sometimes."

Minorly put off,Rose explained with slight rigidness to her words."I'm serious about this,Jake."

The dragon gave her a curious look."Something the matter?"

"You're not taking me seriously,"she told him impatiently at him not catching on sooner."Here I am trying to tell you something that's been on my mind morning,noon and night and meanwhile all you care about is if your picking up on weird slang from your friends,which is probably so."

Perplexed by her exaggerated outburst,he arched his brows and stood up abruptly."Well...the two of them are your friends and I don't see you repeating exactly everything they say;do you?"

Rose threw her hands in the air with a groan and stood as their pointless feuding escladed but only found that it resulted itself by them glaring at each other.Suddenly drained of all the will to attempt to tell him now,she sat back down and rested her arms atop the side nearest the stern.

"Hey,"Jake told her apologetically,placing his hand on her shoulder."You know you can tell me anything.Especially after that whole Yang experience,we promised to be completely honest."

"I remember,"Rose replied bitterly,recalling the insufferable memories of one month ago.She could suddenly feel his touch then and it sent a tingling of rapture through her.An affable smile smoothed across her fine features and her hand reached to close onto the top of his."Jake,I-"

Then,as if some sort of unknown entity had moved near her,she felt herself leaving and a horrid feeling that went through her with a dark,chilling experience petrified her but not to the point at which it stopped her from turning her head and stilling her jumbled breaths,saw with relief that Jake's hand remained there but when she looked back outwards the world had gone a blank white.

"Were going to a place to where we can talk,"A blackened voice,a voice that sounded entirely like Jake's spoke to her."There,hopefully we'll come to some _agreement_ on who you love."

His malovolent voice resounded over the depths of her soul,leaving with the ultimate fear that had come to pass besides her being discovered for treachary,Yang Jake had offically returned.

To Be Continued...


	2. The compromise

_The next day at school_...

Jake made his way down the student-littered halls.His homework was nearly completed,he had checked all his E-mail,had made sure every last inch of him was in the proper fashion as he saw fit to be self-glorified in;overstatededly,as always.But the one thing that wasn't the usual was how the dream date he had had with Rose last night ended.She had just begun to tell him something and the dream had dwindled away before him.Though,it was how his dreams normally ended.

"Whoa,Jakey,watch where you're goin."Trixie's abrupted warning caused him to shift back to the fact that he had nearly stepped into her."Steady yourself,boy."she told him firmly,clasping him by the shoulders and pushing him backwards a bit,ballasting him."I'm not a human door,you know."

He shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts."Sorry."was his mumbled reply,his ebony eyes to the floor."It's just that I didn't get a very good sleep last night and then there was Rose..."

A slightly displeased look crossed her face when they met one another's eyes and Trixie erected herself back up straight,hands on hips."Rose?Did something go down with the Huntsclan,Jake?"

"No,"Jake told her assuringly,noting her concern."But we were just cut off from our dream in the weirdest way and I can't help thinking something happened to her.Like,she didn't wake up also."

"Jake,c'mon.Rose is plenty capable of handling herself.As long as the two of you keep out of the eye of old Huntsy,then y'all have nothing to worry about."She reminded him with confidence.

He took a moment to consider his friend's words,it was pretty much all true.There wasn't much chance the Huntsman or anyone was going to find out they saw each other in their dreams and maybe Rose had woke up before him,as strange as it was that had never happened before.Jake gave Trixie a quick smile,told her he'd go talk to Rose at her locker about the previous night and catch up with her later.Renewed,the dragon took a bracing inhale and headed for Rose's locker.

"Rose."Jake said her name as he approached,for some reason unsureness lingered in his words.

Her back was turned to him and her outfit appeared different but that wasn't the cause for the odd feeling that crept up in him.Something was going on and he had to find out what,it was like a unknown voice in his soul was telling him that Rose was in trouble.It seemed real and it felt real.

"Ro-"he began again but was cut off in a stunned recoil."Sara?What the heck are you doin' here?"

The perky blond smiled impulsively at him,dismissing his reaction."What else?To foretell you about a totally unwanted though completely valid fraction of your feature in detailed reporting."

Jake slumped visibly and sighed inevitably."Alright,Sara."he spoke blandly."Let's here it then."

"Well,I'll tell you some news after some news.And it deals with her and you going on a love..."

Sara trailed off at his now beaming demeanor."Better yet,"she said consideringly,coming strangely more serious."Maybe it would be best that I tell you what's going to happen before that to Rose."

"And?"He prompted her insistently,obviously forgetting she was the less preferred physic.

Before she could open her mouth to speak,the piercing noise of the bell caused the commotion in the hall to suddenly turn wild and even louder.Jake tried to get to her but his friend was lost in the throngs of hurried students rushing towards their assigned classrooms.But Jake stood with his feet rooted to the tile floor.His uneasy feelings now suddenly intensified as he now had some near confirmation that something was indeed wrong with Rose.With out a moment to spare,the dragon took off running towards the far exit,his rushing footsteps echoing slightly in the deserted hallway.

_Back with Yang and Rose_...

Hatred.It was something that shouldn't even exist and yet it was the only thing Rose could feel at this unethical knock-off as his blood red eyes invited themselves to gazing at her,she felt the awful way they scanned her.It was like he was searching for the part of her that she now had felt nearrly at ease with.Rose had learned to find a balance with her two natures,now it was like the whole issue was being dragged out again and yet he hadn't said a word about it.Neither had she for that matter.And she wouldn't either,even if he kept her locked within the inpenetrable four white walls.

"You're going to have to side with me sometime,"Yang told her surely,with such crude assureness it made Rose was to claw his eyes out."Food,water,a dose of reality.No one can live like this and I know for a fact you'd rather not spend all of eternity in there while all the rest of life went on."

Still,she didn't speak.Rose wouldn't let this flithy snake of a dragon copy subject her to this kind of abuse.Instead of responding to him in any means,the fourteen-year-old merely stood with her back leaned coolly against the wall and her arms folded.Though she couldn't look over and see him if she wanted to,Rose had learned that everything accessible was outside this box-like prison.

"They'll find you."he tempted her further,his voice growing more critical."They'll assume that you fell into some sort of coma and what will become of you then?You think anyone's going to care if you're unable to awaken?Better yet,they may just declare you buzzard chow.The choice is clear."

"Yes,"Rose muttered vaguely,her thoughts elsewhere mostly."It's clear you're a bigoted lunatic."

"And it's clear _you're _too blind to realise what potential we'd have together!"Yang snapped back at her insulting,for the first time sounding uncomposed."That is,I can't do succed in taking over the magic world without you,"he explained,mitigating."Two dragons are hard enough,four is chancey."

"Why do you need me?"She demanded matter-of-factly,her voice lowering as she clenched both her fists and stalked boldly forward."In fact,how are you even alive?I finished you off for good."

Yang gave a harsh laugh to that."Then what am I still doing here in the flesh."his image dressed in a black blazer and jeans,hinting that he'd been around for time,appeared in a wobbling threshold.

Rose stood her ground."What'll you do in the meantime?Keep me locked up in my own dream?"

"And not see to your basic needs?"A devious glint existed in his eyes,his voice mock appauled."I wouldn't think of letting you wither away while everything you care about came spiraling down."

"Tell me what you want,Yang."Her voice rose testily.

"You,of course,"The dragon chuckled in amusement."I know for a fact this is going to work out."

"You don't know me as well as you think you do,"She challenged frostily,crossing her arms.

"And how well do you think you now me?"Yang sneered back,his firey eyes now flashing a black and beady color as he adavanced on her in deliberate,almost threatening steps inside the square.

For the first time,Rose felt fear press down upon her bravado as realisation that he had her in his realm and he could possibly do more to her made her take a few heeful steps back.Despite the girl's attempt to fascade her emotions,her expression seemed to be reflecting them.But a sudden thought crossed Rose's mind and regaining a front of control,she strutted up to him face-to-face.

"_If you have such control over my being here_,"Her words were a hissing whisper and at the far corners of her mind she knew she was messing with fire."Then why aren't you mentally controlling me?"she stood at full height and a knowing look crossed her visage."You can't,can you Yang?"

His tanned features rearranged to mutely calmed look."On the contrary,Thorn,"he put his palm up flat into and smoothed in across the air to make an image that showed her Jake hurrying to where she now lived,which shocked her."I can.You see,I know for a fact that you cherish my good side here quite a bit."he narrowed his eyes on her."But I can make it so you'll never see Jake again."

The rememberance of an earlier question mingled with her own anger over what Yang planned to do shot needles of fury through her."WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"she shouted boomingly and out of sheer rage,tried to go for his throat as the image cleared."Tell me right now or I'll kill-"

"Stop it."He told her intolerantly and seized both her wrists,a cerise aura glowing around them.

Rose gritted her teeth as a pain came from an unsung source and sheeted through her,he twisted her arms around and forced her down upon her knees.Every ounce of her was weakening as he somehow gained immediate dominance over her._Oh my gosh_...she thought,her lids squelched to try to lessen the immense hurt but now it was to the point of near agony._He can't win_,_he can't_...

"Apologise,"Yang's voice was dead set no-nonsense and curt."Do it for me and I'll spare you."

"I..."She started to gasp strainfully,color bespeckled before her azure eyes,her lungs felt like they were constricting and her heart pounded in her ears."All-alright!I apologise!Now release me..."

Devoid of energy,Rose collasped to the ground.Her sides burned and her throat ached with some kind of raw taste at the back of it.Even if she had the strength,she was in Yang's zone and didn't have a single weapon on hand.She was vurenable but if she could divert him from harming Jake,it was worth it for her to lie her like a crumpled up doll.It felt demeaning but she couldn't do a thing about it but be absolutely still and pray for a miracle.Maybe Jake knew Yang was back and was on his way to stop him.But then reality dawned on her,he could get easily caught by her uncle.

"Don't worry,"Yang scoffed contemptuously."Jake has an idea in mind to keep from exposing his precious self to your uncle and you."his voice grew darkly coquetteish as he traced an arc down the side of her face from the tip of her eyebrow,to the middle of her cheek."You see,here is my proposition.You're going to perform any task of my choosing and will go about it flawlessly.If you show even one sign of deterring or betraying me,I will destroy Jake.Obey me and I'll let him live."

His touch felt chilling and yet disturbingly soft."What do you want?"she swallowed down a lump of disgust,her mission was clear at this point;keep Yang away from Jake by all means.It was all too clear to her now that he knew something that she didn't and she had to play along for the time being until she could find a real way to get rid of Yang forever,before she could say."I love you."

To be continued...


	3. You can't fool all

_At the new Huntslair_...

"You look familiar..."Number 88 spoke suspiciously,rubbing his chin as he examined a well disguised Jake before him."Hey,"his eyes lit up."Didn't we meet at the last comic book convention down town?"

He peered down at himself curiously._I'm an overweight bald guy whose suppose to look like some real estate agent in my mid-forties_.Jake thought with disinclination toward continuing his stratagem.

Groaning inwardly,he pointed at something over the other boy's shoulder."Whoa,is that dragon?"

"_Dragon!?_"Number 88 exclaimed in surprise and he frantically wheeled around for confrontion."I've gotta get 89 and the Huntsman..."he trailed off in realisation."Hey,I don't see any dragon behind me."

"There is now."A voice countered raringly.

The Huntsboy nearly screamed his head off in terror but Jake was quick to latch his tail tip around his face to stifle his attempts.While the teen squirmed in his hold,Jake scratched his chin in thought trying to decide what to do with him.His ebony eyes feel upon a fire truck in a stationary position across the street.Grinning mischievously,he flew up to where the long metal ladder stuck up into the air in a slant.

Without thinking twice,Jake extended his wings and bolted up towards the end of the ladder.All while feeling the tugging of his tail and the muffled protests coming from his victim,the dragon promptly and almost enjoyingly ignored them and with the tips of two talons,rose the elastic out on 88's underwear as he let it snap onto one end of the ladder.The engine suddenly roared to life and the ranting teenager became nothing more then a dangling little black dot as the truck pulled away and into the main traffic.

After a bit of sneering,he coasted back down and transformed back to normal.The empowerment he felt to go see Rose came back to him and he secretly thanked Fu for providing him with only a small amount of potion to activate his shapeshifting abilites.Jake then turned into his human form at the door entrance,took a readying inhale and then started into the house.But not before he heard the footsteps of someone coming down the flight of stairs he tried ascending,did he nearly lose his nerve altogether.

Jake felt panic streak through him and he quickly pressed himself up against the stairwell,trying hard to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.The footsteps dug deeper into the last few stairs and really the only thing that seperated Jake from whoever was the railing.Holding in his breath,Jake watched in a swarm of restlessness as the Huntsman appeared out suddenly with his back turned to the dragon.

He released a deep,guttural grumble and tossed a newly opened letter to the floor."Those aggravating and not to mention short-sighted members are the bane of my existance!"his angry,booming statement thundered into the air as he stomped wrathfully upon the letter."They're going to regret stopping me!"

_Anger management issues,much?_Jake thought sarcastically but witnessed with relief as he walked to the front door and then like a world class sprinter,he grabbed onto the railing,performed one single pull-up and with a quick flip the rest of the way onto the stairs,quietly hurdled up the remaining ones.

_In Rose's room_...

Everything started to slowly become perceivable again,the soft colors of her room that perfectly if not meticulously complimented each others started to become unblurred as Rose awoke from the dream of a lifetime.But for some reason it didn't feel real to her and it was actually the last thing on her mind.

"What's today,saturday?"She mumbled to herself curiously and glanced over at her calender.

She had been another dream date with Jake but she barely recalled it.The notion of rememberance at that fact caused Rose to smile thoughtfully as she sat up in bed and brought back her arms outward in a somewhat straining stretch.Giving a small,lazy yawn,she slipped out from under her covers and then padded over to her vainity dresser.Picking up her hair brush,Rose bent over so that her long golden hair fell completely forward and began to run the thick bristles into her slightly curled locks strokingly.

Another part of her dream in the back of her mind kept trying to poke it's way through to her present state of mind but she merely pushed it aside as she thought about all of what she would accomplish that day.She knew the first thing her uncle would be doing was thoroughly complaining about all of the Huntsclan members who were on the opposing side of eliminating all magical creatures,the two Hunts dweebs would be fighting over cereal or video games and she would have to perform her early morning duties.Her fate in the clan was what she always felt resigned with,until now.She wanted more.

"Rose!"Jake's breathless voice spoke out her name.

The teenager spun around and tried to see him through her bustles of blonde."Jake?!What in the-?"

"Rose,I'm sorry.But I got this extremely bad feeling something had happened to you and then there was the oracle who kind of confirmed it at my school."He now sounded akward."But you look okay."

Feelings of dumbfoundness and a hint of rage mingled into Rose at him for not only being here but also of him so blindedly daring to come this far just to check on her entered.She was unsure why she felt this way but she did.Trying to take a hold on these emotions,she flipped her hair back and reached for a hair tie that lay on her dresser.Quickly placing it into a makeshift braid,she hurried to the window.

"You have to get out of here,"she told him calmly,pushing upwards and ushering him over."Quickly."

Still,he hung back."You've got to understand,the predictions are one hundred percent true and then the feeling I got."he appeared to be on the verge off reaching out for her."It scared me to feel that way again,Rose."his words caused an ache in her heart as he came closer."I really just had to make sure."

Rose felt instantly touched that he had felt so strongely enough to risk himself like that,although still incredulous at his headstrong nature it didn't surprise her and that was what she loved about him.Just as she was about to speak her feelings,this time completely calm and ready,a strange wariness swept over her and caused her to step back.Turning to look at Jake,a memory from her previous dream late last night came back to her.Like a bullet hitting it's target,Rose remembered the mind-blowing truth.

"Hey,"Jake said worriedly,touching her arm as her breathing started to become rapid."Are you okay?"

The next time her eyes met his,Rose let out an almost startled gasp and backed into the wall.Events prior to waking up came back to her and she was trying hard to force them away._Yang is gone for good,_she thought firmly,logically to herself._I slayed him and he can never return_._It isn't possible_.

But she recalled even more,along with the accompaniment of when she had first met him.The promises he had made,he had tried with every last bit of his power for them to fall through.He didn't lie then and much to Rose's absolute dread,she knew he wouldn't lie now.There was no telling when he was going to strike if she kept talking to Jake but that soon came in the form of fine,black ring of smoke forming up above Jake's head and lowering.It looked almost like a halo,only it gave Rose a strong lethal feel.

"_I'll kill him_..."Yang's unethical voice echoed through her mind."_You know that staff you carry with you all the time,I want you to threaten him with it_."his voice dripped with lust."_Do it now,Rose_."

She was about to grab Jake so she could pull him away but the halo advanded quicker in the midst of her trying to touch him.Drawing back and trying to ignore his perplexed look,Rose ran over toward her closet and started to throw things on the floor in a hetic struggle to find what she was looking for.

"Need any help?"He asked her,almost casual."I'll leave if everythings cool but the feeling I got was so strong that I had to make sure."he now sounded cockily reassuring."S'kay,I dodged Huntspunk no-"

Jake cut off immediately when he found himself at the wrong end of Rose's staff.He didn't understand what was going on at first and tried to finish his sentence but couldn't get over the shock of seeing her sticking that up at him.Clasping his hands behind his back,he took a few careful steps away from her.

"You're wanting me to leave now,huh?Alright,alright..."his laugh was a bit forced."I know,I'll go now."

But she didn't return his humor,in fact,she turned her eyes away from him.Jake waited for her to make a move and tell him she was only kidding;but she didn't.Turning serious again,he tried to inquire Rose.

"Is there something-"

"Get out of here!"She snapped at him harshly and that was enough to send him across the room to the window."I'm fine,Jake."her eyes and words became more tolerant,as she brought her weapon down."I just need some time to think about things and you're making it difficult.Would you mind leaving now?"

Still apprehensive for her,Jake nodded his understanding."I have to get back to school anyways."

In less then ten seconds he was gone and Rose found herself walking up to where he had been,placed her hands with her staff still in one down upon where he had touched the seal.She couldn't believe that she had just done that and it broke her up inside.Swallowing down a cold knot of fear when the now slightly familiar presence of Yang appeared behind her,Rose straightened up before he could speak.

"There."She told him prominently,tossing back her hair with one swipe of her hand."I just completed the ultimate thrill of your life:Dissing your better.Now you can go back to the hole you crawled out of."

"Forunately."His chilling respose came with a wicked chuckle."That was only the beginning of it,Rose."

To Be Continued...


	4. Bondage

_Central park in early morning_...

The Huntsman and Huntsgirl moved side-by-side through the path of aligning timbers,sprays of glowing pinkish and orange warmth melted away the sable,starless night.Occasional morning birds would sound and dew became noticable in tiny droplets everywhere.Slowly but surely,the earth was coming alive.But Rose barely noticed these things.The fact that the Huntsman hadn't told her what they were doing out in the wee hours of morning didn't phase her,not as much as the fact that Yang lurked around her nearby.

"Master,"She began to speak up inquiringly,fingering the magical dreamcatcher that she was forced to wear to keep her from entering anyone's dreams other then her own."Are we close in the majority yet?"

Of course she was asking if most of the members of the clan were siding or at least considering siding with him.But even as she looked at him,her uncle remained silent.When Rose had grown up,even if he was never there much other then to train her,she had idolized him.Except for one other person in her life when she was nine-years-old,Rose obeyed only him.But now times had changed and now when Rose laid her eyes upon him,all she saw was an awful,ruthless person.To magical creature and humans alike.

"We are out here because of a rare breed of unicorn."He intentionally awnsered a question she had not even asked."You could say that is what I need to see now,is if the others are kosher in thier oppions."

Rose didn't say a word and for a moment she thought he was thinking of others,but when she gave a bit more thought to it it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure he was only concerned with himself.As that didn't surprise her in the least,she refrained from speaking the rest of way until they reached a meadow and a river of rainbows it seemed washed over her.Stifling a gasp,she shielded her eyes but when Rose looked again a large,majestic soft ivory hued unicorn stood surprisingly close.What made Rose's instant fascination for the creature grow was it's long horn,illuminated with spiraling rings of colorful spectrum.

"A variegated unicorn,"she heard the Huntsman marvel under his breath."One of the few of it's kind.They say that if they were all to die out,it would mean no more rainbows and what a poor pity that would be."

Ignoring the sarcasm of her uncle's words,her attention shifted temporarily to the well being of the young stallion before them.After finding out who Jake was,all love of hunting had died along with her hatred of the American Dragon.Like it or not,she didn't have much choice about this creature.But Rose knew she had to try.Swallowing her pride,she turned towards her uncle and opened her mouth to start suggesting.

"Uncle,maybe..."

"What're you waiting for!?"He barked at her impatiently."Restrain it whilest I go in for the kill..._well_?"

It had disturbingly seemed almost like old times when the two hunted and the idea somewhat calmed her with all the other weight it seemed bearing down on her;only momentarily had she felt that and now she just wanted to go home.Shaking her head to clear her mind,Rose stepped out of covering and towards the unicorn,watching as it laid inquiring,liquid gold eyes on her.She felt her uncle's gaze bore into her and wanting nothing more then to take him out,she tightened her grip on her staff and aimed it at the unicorn.

"Hey,now,"A familiar,haughty voice came out of nowhere and she felt the staff yanked up from her grasp that come to find out was being held above her out of reach by Jake,his tail wrapped around it."What's a gorgeous thing like you doing with a dangerous weapon like this?If you're not careful you might get hurt."

Rose shoved back a pang of panic and bending down,sprung up and twisted her legs enough quickly to do a high side kick that sent the staff sailing into the air and came only within a mere inch of missing the Huntsman's head,who ducked immediately.Once she saw her uncle's attention deterred,she turned her own towards Jake stayed in a reposed position with his arms folded and a smug look plastered on him.

"_Jake,_"She told him in a hissing whisper upwards."I'll distract him long enough for you to get him away."

His brows raised and he nodded over at the unicorn."Who?Him?He's way too heavy.Oh,"he began to lower himself down to Rose's level,smiling wickedly at her show of uneasiness."And I'm not Jake Long."

Cold tremors coupled with anger led her to impulsively rush foward in an attempt to at least get him to back away from her.But just before she lunged into him,she recoiled away from Yang in frightful rememberance.If she didn't do what he told her,he could do away with Jake.She didn't know how and she didn't know for how long,but she was bounded to the devil dragon's whim.He had her bondaged.

Shakily,she rose to her feet and glared at him willingly."You can't keep this up forever,it may have only been two days that you have this hold on me but it won't last."her eyes obivated."What is it you want?"

Rose sensed the Huntsman recovering and getting ready to move closer but before he could take even a step forward,Yang zipped away from where he was and confronted him.She wheeled around in time to see the two of them going at it.Without even having to think about it,she worked her staff free from the tree and headed off into the forest.She knew she was risking it,she knew him going at the Huntsman was probably nothing more then a test to see if she would stick around without him watching her but she had no choice.It might have been her single opportunity to get away and she had to for Jake's and her sake.

Dialing the coordinates to Jake's grandfather's shop,she was coming up close on the main treeless plain of the park.A sense of great accomplishment washed over Rose at having gotten away from two of the most horrible beings she knew and it caused her to nearly collasp over in relief but she was able to break her fall by wrapping her arms around a light pole.Easing off and pressing her back to it,she let a few small,breathless chuckles escape her lips as she touched the staff's button to teleport her.She made it!

"_NO!_"

Quicker then lightening,the staff was batted from her hands and she was jerked forward just as the staff teleported itself away.Rose wasn't sure of what to do next,everything had been going along so perfectly and now only to have it come to this.Before she knew it,she was face to face with a human Yang.The deep,lustful look he held in his infernal-like eyes made her almost scream but he was faster and had now subdued her with another act of cruelty.But by doing something even worse,he had forced himself past her will and desire,he had stripped away her feelings of self worth and subjected her to languish in the absolute most disgracing way he knew how.He had indulged himself by kissing her,leaving her soul empty.

Empty and completely open to doing his bidding.

_To Be Continued_...

**A/N:**Yeah,we'll find out the effects next chapter...

LP


	5. We meet again

_Several days later_...

Jake glided over the city's rooftops as a warm breeze passed and smoothed onto his scales as he mostly just let the direction of the wind guide him,only flapping occasionally when he needed to to stay airborne.He was on his nightly hour-long patrol as usual,but defending the magical world couldn't be the furthest thing from Jake's mind.Of course,it was about Rose.

He hadn't seen,heard,or even felt anything that gave off any indication of her well being for a few long,indecipherable days.Neither good nor bad news had been brought up about her and so Jake had coasted along with getting things done.His normal egocentric attitude in the midst of dueling opponets never quite surfacing,as Rose never left his mind but in some strange ways he was still getting his job done.Other times he was just to himself and quiet.

Considering his friend's comments that he hadn't been the same lately,Jake was immediately interrupted by the shrieks of what sounded like a shrill voice reached his ears.In a flash,he was descending to where a skittish little elf with dark blue elf-like attire was engaged in a peculiar jig that involved hopping frantically in the air from foot-to-foot.Jake tried over and over again to get a word in edgewise but the panicky little elf was chittering to fast to hear.

"If you would just-"He tried carefully but was cut off."I can help-"his attempt again failed.

Finally feeling somewhat peeved,Jake loosely clasping around the now wiggling and then all out squirming litle creature with a single claw.As gently as he could,the dragon lifted him up to place on his other claw and rose the little elf to his height so they were almost eye level.

"Now tell me calmly,"Jake began in a deliberately slow and tactful voice."What happened?"

Within minutes Jake had boarded the subway and was now flying through Magus Bazaar at nearly ten-thirty at night.The cobblestone streets were normally littered with busy crowds of all sorts of magical inhabitance that had their interests peaked by skilled merchants,whereas Jake was finding the deserted look rather eerie.He ignored this though and used his dragon vision with the absence of any light source to guide him to a towering building at the end of the main street.It was nearly the size of a skyscraper and appeared to be completely new.

The now more settled elf perched himself upon Jake's shoulder."I know what you must be thinking and,yes,this is newly established.It took a lot of urgent funding but we built it."his voice shifted from pride to solemness."We put everything we knew how into constructing it to protect the valuable package hidden inside.We all planned to tell the Dragon Council..."

"What's in there that's so important?"Jake asked him promptly,his admittance rendering little more then news to him."You told me on the subway that it was protected by different levels of magical creatures and that elves were the first line of magical creature barriers on defense."

"That's right."he nodded confirmingly."And once I heard them get through the orge defenses I knew the sensible thing would be to find the American Dragon."his long ears drooped."If they get the Sceptre of Medusa there's no telling how many magical creatures they will enslave."

The thought struck Jake as odd."I thought only Medusa could do that."he said,confused now.

"Some of her power was captured in an orb attached to an ordinary staff long ago when they were just starting to take over the accient world."The elf explained rapidly,seeming to fry half of his concentration on willing the dragon to enter the building as he stole pained looks at the invaded buidling."In-the-end-it-disappeared-and-has-recently-appeared-again-now-_GO_!"

_Inside the seven story security spire..._

Opposed to the outside,the entire facility was illuminated in nearly blinding light.At first he just assumed it was because he had been in pitch black but now it registered that the intensity had been permitted so the intruder might be caught eaiser.After some awkwardness,Jake started to wander down a curving hall and wound up confronting several befuddled appearing orges.

Tapping his chin,Jake began carefully."I'm guessin' you guys aren't taking home the nobel prize anytime soon but an elf named Stephen told me that you guys have sealed off all exits and now have the perpetrator."he sighed exasperatively and re-rephased."Is the _bad_ guy trapped on the top floor and you _good_ guys aren't able to take him down because he's kept you off his trail?"

The two merely stared at him,turned to look at one another and when their eyes lit up suddenly at getting his meaning,they both gave him vigorous nods in unison.Guessing they were just the muscle behind the project to protect the Sceptre of Medusa,Jake gave them a polite little smile and flew into the entry way that they granted him.They wouldn't give him a hard time,excellent.

From there he flew through several levels of metal shafts until he entered a large,dimly lit room and was combed with shadows on the far off walls and up into the support beams that held up the top level floor.Jake couldn't tell but he thought the ceiling was high.With the aid of his dragon vision,Jake began to search the seemingly vacant room.From his limited,cylinderic like vision he was able to see the bare,white painted walls.But disappointingly,he saw nothing.

_You think they'd have brains enough to search this room out_,He thought,inwardly griping.

He was just about to give up and leave altogether,considering what time it was,when Jake felt a sharp whacking upon the back of his head.It was enough to make him wheel around to look up but when he did he felt a double thrashing to his the center of his legs;buckling his knees.

Falling to them,he tried himself to take a swing at his assailent but found no one to be there at his disposal to attack.Blinking in disbelief and trying to gather himself,Jake flared his wings and began to lift immediately.His left ear perked and he heard someone ready to strike him but this time around he caught them by their legs and threw the person across the floor in front of him.

From what he saw in his grey-hued nocturnal vision,was a dark attire cladded person's body skidding across the tile floor.Jake guessed there was stronger material lying beneath it but was instantly having to re-focus on the fact that the person did just the opposite of barrelling back at him in fit of rage;the person got up and flung a piece of rope around the closest white pillar.

"Hey!"Jake exclaimed in surprise,hurrying after the now scaling up thief."Get back down here!"

"Whatever you say."Came a casual,but still inimical voice and in less then a second the person did a quick finishing run and pushed backwards in a flip,only to stick a pitilessly crude landing.

"Hope ya don't get cold feet."He bantered back up at the young robber smirkingly."But just in case you do,why don't I help you out a little bit and just warm them up for you while I'm at it."

But before he could act,Jake felt a crunching that couldn't of been within an inch of missing his spine.Stifling down a yelp of pain,the dragon had to squelch his eyes shut but only to have the person atop his cranium rap him once behind the left ear and caused him to collasp.But before his body even made contact with the ground,Jake thought he could hear someone laughing at his predicament.Familarity rang clear through his mind and landing on all fours he broke his fall.

"_Yang,_"The word sizzled out from the depths of his soul in one contemning utterance.

Rage ripped through Jake's nerves as he remembered how brutally the dragon had attempted to sabotage Jake's life,how he had threated those nearest to him and how much he hated his double even more then the Huntsman,even more then the Dark Dragon...there was just something about him that Jake could barely just very barely even think about.

Before Yang got the chance to strike,Jake rammed his shoulder into his attacker,only to find that it wasn't Yang at all that he drove to the ground with a harsh amount of force.The person in question appeared to be a Huntsclan member.And to Jake's immense horror,it was Rose.

She was in a sprawled position and breathing hard,like she didn't have the strength nor ability to even think about anything else.With effort,Rose rolled over her to side and curled her body a bit.Just relieved to see that she was alright,Jake started to gingerly reach down for her to help the girl up.Seeing her crumpled up like this served as a reminder the last time she was battered.

"Rose...?"He spoke uncertainly,his claw coming to rest of her arm.

But before he could go further,he saw her flash him a venemous glare up at him that froze him in place and made her arm go limp to his side.Glancing over,she was instantly attracted to an object a distance over.When Jake followed her gaze he spotted a golden rod with a clear glass orb that was mere feet from the two.Rose sat up and did a back flip to land on her feet.Jake watched in complete bewilderment as she cartwheeled over,snatched up the staff and took off.

Jake's shoved aside his feelings and did the only logical thing,he gave chase but Rose was so fast that she was able to keep out of reach from Jake trying to get a hold of her.Since she was totally unarmed it seemed,Jake didn't attempt anything more then trying to prevent her from leaving.The thought that this involved the Huntsman seized his first suspicion and so he just went along with the charade.All the time forgetting about Yang and focusing all of his attention on stopping Rose.

They kept this up until Jake caught sight of them nearing the entrance way he had came into the room.Narrowing his eyes,he decided on faking a move to get her and then tackling her when she thought she had simply missed him again.However,he saw her take something from her belt and once she brought her hand out,saw that between her gloved fingers were very small black balls.

Jake kept watching on cluelessly from above and didn't notice in time before he had an unpleasant run-in with the top of the cubed doorway.Quickly taking a few seconds to massage his head,Jake raced to catch up with her only to be blinded by thick clouds of purple-ish smoke.Trying to wave away the choking fumes and fly at the same time,he finally found his way back to the main hall but found Rose nowhere in sight.Panicking for both her and the fact that a powerful magical item had been stolen,Jake was about to race back down to ground floor when he heard shouting.

They became more louder and coherent as he traveled down a couple of corridors to find there was a gathering of mostly small to medium sized magical creatures consisting of a few pixies,elves and a pygmy griffon frantically trying to persuade someone outside one of the only windows on the top floor to get back inside.Jake took in that the window was too small for a dragon his size.

"Who's out there?"Jake questioned one of the pixies,surpressing the quivering note in his voice.

"The burglar,that's who,"The adult male pixie explained ruefully."Soon to be a burglar pancake."

Ushering them all to get back,Jake transformed back to normal and was able to step out onto the ledge.The brick that layered the outside had a jutted trail to which Rose was pressing her back to and was inching away from the window.Deathly scared for her safety,he immediately began after her without thinking and found himself closely tilting a bit.Flattening out himself out against the only solid thing and in a mixed state of fear for Rose and temporary forgetfulness,he started to move.

"Rose."He said her name softly,trying to get her to look at him."What're you doing?If your uncle was going to come,wouldn't he already?Tell me."he held his breath and could now take her hand.

The two stood that way for a long time,five days ago they were together in their dreams on one of their most romantic dates yet,now they were on a ledge of the largest building ever constucted in any magical part of New York.Jake couldn't help but notice the golden staff was straped to her back and he was about to try to lead her back in,when he felt her yank her hand away from him.

"We can't be together anymore Jake,"Rose's voice was tightened,saddened."Not only because of the Huntsclan but because I can't..."she sounded as if she were struggling."I can't love you,Jake."

And as if she had physically dealt him a blow,Jake nearly flailed backwards but the other reason was Rose had now plunged off the edge in a tremenduous leap yet to Jake's immense surprise,a figure swooped in out of the blue and she made a perfect landing onto the strange creature's back.

It was so fast that Jake didn't get a good look at who it was before they flew off but he was one-hundred percent positive about two things as he stood pressed up against the wall once again.The eyes of the creature had been a familiar sinister scarlet sort of glow that he knew belonged to his evil doppleganger and he knew that what Rose's last words to him held were dire to him:sincerty.

What she had told him,much to his agony,was the truth about her feelings for him.Why?He didn't know.But he was going to find out.That was his only hope of getting Rose back,to have paitence.

_To Be Continued_...


	6. A trio of traps

_Five days after the capture of Medusa's Sceptre_...

A lone figure made his way down a vacant parking lot and over to an abandoned hosiptal and it's indoor parking garage.Dawn made a fine glowing pink streak off to one side of the person that made the buildings before it appear still shadowy and the street lights still casted diming light in perfect alignment to the other side of the parking lot nearest the calmed street.

The person in question that was nearing the side of the indoor garage had the collar on his red jacket sticking straight up and,rather unfavorably,a ball cap dipped low to conceal most of his features except for his mouth and chin.Though he had decided to wait out the person he cared for more then anything's re-emergence,the note he had found stuck in his locker at school the previous day to meet someone with infomation on Rose was now luring him to an unfamiliar part of the city.Yet,he was prepared for this and already guessed it was a set up.

_To the American Dragon_...

_Don't ask how I know it's you.just listen and listen well_._Rose is a very important asset in the plans we have_._She really has a thing for you and it is only known to several people of you two's budding romance_._Um,anyways,meet me at the following address to discuss where she is_._If you don't,consider yourself exposed to the general public_.

Aside from the address the person gave and his attempt to sound daunting,Jake knew that whoever sent the letter hadn't the slightest idea of Rose's whereabouts even though the letter had already fully explained the writer hadn't known.But the all-too clear message that Jake's identity was in jeopardy coupled with the need for more leads on Rose had made him come.

"Hello...?"Jake's voice reverberated off the bottom level's concrete walls as he now stood in the opening.Though no response reached his ears,he contiuned in and called again."Hello...?"

"Yow!"A startled male voice sounded from over aways from behind a wall where the indoor parking lot curved around."Don't surprise me like that,this is nerve-wrackin' enough as is."

Jake whipped around to see a short figure sporting more approiate attire for the occasion,a tan trenchcoat that was so big it dragged along behind the person,coming towards him.Doing his best to let the brim of the cap lower down more to conceal his top lip,he proceeded with confronting the person.Clearing his throat heavily,he started to speak to the mysterious man.

"I hear you have news on Rose,"he stated with his recently versed New England accent."Do you remember when you last saw her and what she looked like before she disappeared?"

"Let's cut the chatter and get straight to the matter,Dragon."The African American sounding teenager told him sharply."Me and you both know Rose's real idenity as Huntsgirl and there is someone else who's even more important then either of us who wants to know how much it is you do know."he grew strangely more solemn."Someone who's got a lot of questions."

Jake clenched his fists and stalked forward to the person."How do you know who I am?!"

He took an apprehensive step backwards,trying to stifle his stammering."I-I found some files in her room that had some infomation on you and that's how I found out where you were-"

"What're you know?"Jake demanded in a forceful yet calmed voice,as he was now nearly in the other boy's shadowy face and had deliberately allowed the rest of his face to be showen.

"Your locker number,219,that's all she had of you in her diary..."He told Jake quickly,gloved hands up in a fruitless attempt to make him back up."There's only one thing I need to know."

The American Dragon backed off and assumed a considering expression,arms crossed."So what exactly is it you wanna know?Rose's whereabouts?Because I haven't gotten a clue,88."

"Yeah,"88 threw his hands up in exasperation."That's what I told the Huntsman but...uh-oh."

"Right,"Jake smirked in agreement,chuckling a bit."Uh-oh."

Taking a few moments to savor the teenager's rather humorous realisation,Jake transformed on the spot while making sure to discard the red and blue cap to the floor.His next premise that the nerd had been used for bait in order to have a successful ambush came true and just in a matter of five seconds,a small band of five to six Huntsmembers appeared from behind.

The Huntsman shot Jake a blistering look,one that he clearly got the jist of.Rose was missing and he was being accused of it,he didn't know who Jake really was and that was good but it didn't lessen the cold prickling of rememberance that was that of Yang trying to make him an outcast to everyone by pulling heinous pranks and framing Jake.But it did make him wonder.

"_Now Jake?_"He heard a faint voice inquire from the device upon his shoulder that apparently had fallen off of his upturned jacket collar when he transformed."_They're locked and ready_."

Jake gave a slight nod to no one in particular and within seconds,Laoshi,Sun,Haley,Fu Dog and Trixie and Spud with some sort of blue magical glowing orbs in their hands flanked all of the Huntsmember's exits.While they turned nervous,especially two would-be apprentices,The Huntsman gripped his staff a bit tighter and put his full focus forth up at Jake,singling him out.

"Tell me the location of my other apprentice!"He shouted in angered requisition."She was by far the best apprentince I have ever had and I will NOT allow her profiting to my clan to be completely wasted upon the deranged claws of some dragon...especially the American one."

Jake glared back at him,trying to keep a calm,professional tone of voice in tact."I was going to cut you Huntschumps a break,I don't know where she is either.But maybe the two of us-"

"Jake!"Laoshi cut him off roughly."Do not go as far as to reveal your true intentions this way."

That sent a pang of guilt rippling through him._What else am I suppose to do Gramps?They might know something and it's like we have lot of options_.They both made eye contact.

"So it's true,"The Huntsman declared triumphantly."You do know her location or at least what has happened to her."he aimed his staff at Jake's neck."You have one second to disclose to me where Huntsgirl is before I severe your head from neck in one shot,Dragon."

But before any chaos could break loose as expected,a yellowish,transparent sheet of some type skirtred between the distance of the Huntsman and Jake and caused the green energy to ricochet and re-direct from it's intended target.Everyone inside the clear panel ducked down to avoid getting shot.Jake,tilting his head in perplexion,flapped up and back to a higher place.

It soon became clear.A forcefield that had a light amberish color to it was blocking him off from the others,friends and foes.The forcefield in question had an almost protrudding,bubble like exterior that incased them all in one corner of the at one time deserted indoor car garage.

"It was all a trick,"Jake found him deducing his own trap,directing his voice to the presence he sensed behind him."Just to eliminate any sort of help I might get from my friends and family and just to get any help Rose might get from the Huntsclan,you brought us here to trap us all."

"Hmm,"A familiar voice began thoughtfully."Did you figure this out before you came or after?"

Surges of anger shot through him as he seethed bitterly."If I had known this was your plan to trap us together all along,what would make you think I'd have gotten my friends all involved?"

"True."Yang admitted,still coming off as ultra casual."But take notice I haven't trapped you."

"Where is she?"Jake asked the heart-wrenching question,squeezing his claws together so as to lessen the horrible outcomes he had had sprung up in his mind."If you hurt her,I swear I..."

"I've done her no harm,Long."His reply was swift and acually sounded defensive."You really don't give her any credit though,"he told Jake slyly."She's the kind that doesn't submit easily."

**Submit**?!The one word shot through him like a bullet through his gut and caused him to flash around and lock eyes onto his fully dragoned doppleganger self,which no longer resembled him to every extent.His skin held a darker pigment and there was a much more sinister look to him then before.But the same,flame coaxed eyes held Jake's gaze with an utter vileness to them that it made Jake shudder.Still,finding out Rose's well being was too important to him.

"_Where is she_?"He snarled impatiently."I want to know she's all right and I wanna know right now Yang!No more tricks,no more games,just tell me how she is and what you have done."

"Temper,AmDrag."Yang shook his head,feigning disappointment."You're being too brash."

"TELL ME!"Jake thundered at once,feeling like his voice box would explode.

"I'm right-"A familiar female voice began down below them.

"Thorn."Yang cut her off suddenly,without even looking at her."Did you have permission?"

Jake stared in disbelief."No,"she responded quietly,averting her eyes to the ground.

"Correct,"He said with satisfaction."And when do you have permission to speak?"

Rose's shoulders lowered a bit,eyes still fixed downwards."When you tell me."she said it as easily as if she were telling someone how she felt about the weather,she did nothing to resist.

She appeared sound for the most part,her normal maroon Huntsattire though seemed scuffed and a little faded,her long blond braid a bit stringy but what was hard to handle was the way she carried herself,like she hardly thought or acted for herself at all;in other words,humility.

"Rose,"He spoke her name warbly,unable to cope with this new image of the girl he loved.

"Don't judge on first appearances,Long,"Yang was quick to input firmly."She's the only girl I have ever had the privilage to meet that possesses the sort of backbone to rule alongside me."

Jake payed no mind to the last part of his doppleganger's sentence."What've you done to her you dark freak?"he asked in a low,threatening voice."This has got to be the most twisted thing you've done so far,Yang.I want to know what you've done and I want to know right now."

"Are you deaf?"he sneered at Jake's anger."I,along with Thorn as my queen,will take over the magical and human world with the help of Medusa's Sceptre will make everyone my slaves."

_To Be Continued_...

**A/N:**A couple more chapters yet to go.Sorry for the long wait.More soon!

LP


	7. The black hole

_Continuing_...

Jake felt trapped.In more ways then one,everyone who could help him was trapped within a forcefield type incarceration,Rose for whatever reason was not only siding but seemed to be freely under Yang's control and Jake was now left facing two on one.Another frightening thought dawned and he stole a fast glance over his shoulder.

"Don't worry your abnormally over-sized head,"Yang assured him snidely."There are no sound waves that can penetrate it."he chuckled darkly."Aren't you going to thank me?If you-know-who found out about you and Rose...well,I'd sure hate to be you."

Unable to withstand his taunting any longer,Jake arched his wings and in less then a second was barralling madly for his counterpart.But Yang didn't even blink,instead he began yawning as Jake took a crunching to the rib cage and had to grind his elbow into pavement to break his fall.His arm began to tingle as he rounded about just in time to brace himself as Rose began a relentless onslaught,her staff blazing.

After seeing her in such an inert state,Jake was a little taken aback with how much energy and fight she poured into her attacks.He was quick to realise though that she was putting all her pent up fustration into it,which unsurprisingly appeared to have accumulated a lot.Rose's anger was the only energy she had left and he could feel it.

"_Stop_."He whispered to her fretfully."Rose,we can stop him.You know we can..."

Jake trailed off as they pressed into each other,his arms crossed at the middle and claw tips digging into the staff that Rose kept pushing forward.But still,she wouldn't look at him.She didn't reply either and instead of trying to rip the staff away,she gave Jake a final shove and released her hold on the staff;so Jake was left blinking in a bit of a dumbfounded way with the staff now within his claws and Rose backing away.

"Thorn?"An impatient voice threatened from above them.

But she didn't bother to acknowledge Yang,as she closed her eyes momentarily and rushed forward to deliver a swift kick to the staff that Jake found he had limply been holding for that ten or so seconds.Pondering for a moment,he turned to look over at the flying staff but flounced to the side as Rose doubled about for a more high kick.

Turning away,he nailed a punch to the side of her head in which caused her to stiffen up and then stagger back.Her eyes glazed over and she was about to collasp to the floor when Jake caught her by the hand.With Rose now lying jaded in his arms after all she had had to endure,he released a shuddering breath and rested her head up to his heart.A wave of tenderness washed over him.In his arms,she would be safe now.

"Surrender her over or die!"Yang threatened viciously,driving his claws into Jake's shoulders and causing him to drop her."She loves one and only one..."he muttered to himself as Jake reeled back in pain and Yang kneeled down to Rose before her and the ground made contact."And the one and only one is me.And will_ always_ be me."

Jake took a few paces back,the deep gashs in his shoulders sent threads of pain that wounded down through his body and incased him in a tight,tense layer of what was very gradual,very pressure building hurt.It was like he was being driven inward,like a tiny black vortex was sucking him in.Somewhere a pang of horror struck Jake also.

"I know what you're thinking,"His voice was low,thirstful."And yes,this is where it is going to end.I've injected you with a dark magic that is lethal to only the original."he cackled wickedly."You were once a host I was living off of,that I had to take power from in order to survive.Well,no more.From this point forward I am a full individual."

"Is that why you're getting rid of me,Yang?"Jake inquired weakly,raising his eyes to meet the evil doppleganger as he began to grow gaunt."Is my life for your own life?"

"No."The dragon spoke resentfully."I told you,fool.I don't have the need in any form for accomplices.Unlike you,I've gotten everything I have now by getting it myself and now I'm going to get even more,"he held out his claw and the sceptre emerged in it.

With Rose in his other,the two began to rise up with rays of dark purple beginning to wrap around them and then transcend to the sky above.In one narrrow beam,it shot through the roof and hit the new morning sky,causing swirls of black clouds to form and then expand into one enormous spiral,like the one Jake felt increasing within him.

_The world_...he thought in dread,clutching his side that had gone numb and struggling to keep himself up with his spare claw._The whole world is endanger if I don't act_.

Chunks of granite roofing broke off and one particularly large one nearly missed his head but the near miss caused enough adrenline to surge in him that it made him rise to his feet.Balancing himself,he turned his eyes to see through the opening that Yang and Rose's images were fading rapidly.Gritting his teeth and then clenching his fists to keep himself from shaking in anger,Jake shouted out above all the prevailing chaos.

"YOU'LL NEVER KNOW WHAT LOVE IS!SHE MAY NOT LOVE ME LIKE I ONCE THOUGHT BUT SHE DOESN'T LOVE YOU!"He had to pause so that he could catch his breath,coughing a bit."And-and you don't love her...not like I do."

Everything blacked out momentarily,everything grew silent.All that Jake was aware of was that he was in his human form and cool,rough concrete was scraping against his cheek.Now,he laid with his arms at his side and took small,timid breaths for fear that inhaling too fast would suck him in.But he didn't feel that anymore.In fact,it was almost as if he had forgotten it and it had left him.However,he now sensed someone.

Someone was near him,not very close but close enough that he could perceive them.

Slowly,Jake lifted his lids partway and a horizontal form appeared,Rose appeared.

She was lying peacefully on her back with her face turned to him,unharmed and as if a regular slumber was the only thing that now inhabited her being.With a flicker of a smile starting on his visage,Jake began to try and rise up but his legs acted immobile.

Determined,he rolled onto his stomach and began dragging himself inch-by-inch a few feet until he could touch her.Swallowing hard,he examined and noticed a waning that flowed on her features.It was such an unnatural color,that Jake found himself inclosing her wrist in his hand and pressing his fingers down gently...but felt nothing.He moved his hand then onto the top of her chest,only to barely feel a faint beating to his fingers.

"No..."Jake spoke ruefully.

Resignedly,he placed his other hand atop his left and praying with all his might that his classes would pay off,he got ready to push down when he felt two hands clasp onto his shoulders which had perfusion soaked down to his sleeves.Though he was very reluctant,he felt himself ease into whoever it was and sink into a long,unsettled sleep.

_To be continued_...

LP


	8. Nothing else

_A day later_...

Rose sorted through the various articles of dirty clothing that had been piled up into a giant mountain of fabric and filth.To some it might of been considered laundry,to Rose it was a demeaning and remedial task set upon her simply because she was the only girl around.

"Ugh!"She exclaimed in disgust,dropping one of the boy's T-shirts and quickly examining her latex glove incased hands._I'm sure something leaked through them,I just know it_.

Sighing heavily,Rose abandoned her position in front of the washer and strolled up to the main floor,ever gladdened she could leave a task incomplete with the Huntsman gone.She had intended to go straight up to her room but instead found herself yanking down a long cord that dangled in the parlor and stepped up to the top of the roof without contrivance.

The wind was warm and brushed back againist her face,causing strands of her blond hair to go flying back or around her eyes.Tying it back,she seated herself upon a green plastic chair and brought her legs up,holding onto her knees.Rememberance of the previous day flooded back to her.Rose began feeling what she had felt from the outset;guilt and regret.

_Previously_...

Rose slowly rose and fell out of what she knew instantly was a deep sleep,as though she were back at the Academy and awakening for the first time after she had found out Jake was the American Dragon.Incredulousness had plagued her mind then,as it was starting to do now.There was no way Yang had been holding her captive,no way she had allowed it.

"Rose?"A voice inquired,a bit uneasily.

Blinking fast,she realised that her eyes were open.Everything around her was in a blur but she felt herself looking downwards.Since the speaker was more to her right,she moved up in what she now felt was a sort of cot-like structure.As her vision improved enough,Rose found that it was Laoshi who was gazing at her uncertainly from a few feet from where she lay.Turning to look down again,still drowzy,she viewed another occupied cot behind him.

It then occured to her all too fast,she relived everything that had led up to this point.When she had first haphazardly devised a way for Jake to know what it was like for her to have to portray a more darker side by unleashing Yang,all the pranks and crime that had nearly led to Jake being considered corrupt,Yang's defeat,her reunition with Jake,Yang's return again,his unchasted demands of her to turn against Jake,the awful feel of his unfamiliar lips.

"Jake?!"Rose gasped hoarsely,bolting up in bed and had done so so fast she nearly passed out.Hands clasped her gently on the arms as she had fleeting thoughts on his whereabouts.

"Calm yourself,"Laoshi told her,almost in a whisper as he coaxed the startled girl to try and lie back down."Jake is perfectly fine.You're in shock after being brainwashed for so long."

Her mind couldn't make sense of the absurd word."Brainwashed?"she repeated dubiously.

"In a sense."He re-worded after some consideration,having a seat on a wooden chair back a bit."I came to the conclusion he had played on your emotions to a certain degree.That is what he did to Jake,only his intentions were to do far more damange to him then to you."

"The extent of his damange to Jake was in no way more then mine."Rose muttered bitterly.

Her azure eyes focused now on the shadowy wall as she vaguely noticed how dimly lit the room was.But what was now stationed unyieldingly in her mind was these last several days in utter submission.She knew she was being selfish,but at the moment she just couldn't deal with her's and Jake's experiences;could not decipher which one was worse in comparison.

"The rest of the clan got away but they didn't see you taken with us."he tried assuring her as she laid there,glowering."It's only been half a day,Rose.The Huntsman doesn't seem to be very reasonable,I know.But you have time to establish an alibi for this last week or so."

Rose shook her head slowly."I don't believe it,"she spoke off-topic."At first I knew where I was at and I knew I would never truly be with him.Yang knew this himself,he wanted to win me over and used Jake's life as a tool to do so.As time went on,I just got use to it and it became almost easy.He didn't ask for much most of the time..."her voice caught onto an emotional note so she turned her head from the wall."Sometimes he was just so convicing."

"You are strong-minded."Laoshi told her,mortality rising in his voice."And even though he does not always show it,so is Jake.But even the strongest minds and firmest believers at times are subdued by their need to protect those they care about.I believe that happened."

She considered all he had told her for a few minutes,it was true she had done all she had out of love and the desire to ensure at least one of their safeties.In the end,they were both still here.Which proved something:They were stronger.Her and Jake's love were stronger.

_Maybe one day it will be enough to stop my clan_...She smilied wistfully at that thought.

"How is he?"Rose asked softly,rolling back over and sitting up with a calm falling over her.

Laoshi glanced over his shoulder and as if on cue Jake groaned,his arm sliding off his side as he turned to lay on his back.Rose saw this too and immediately was filled with wanting to be within his range of sight when he awakened.Masking her anixousness,she started to rise to her feet only to be halted by the Chinese dragon's gestures for her to sit back down.

"There's something you need to know,"The wrinkles around his eyes contorted with rare worry lines."Jake,well,"he sighed roughly and laced his fingers together."He doesn't know."

Rose gave him a bewildered expression at that."Excuse me?"she chuckled awkwardly."I think we've all just been through heck and back again.Why-How could Jake not know?"

Laoshi pressed her fingers to his temples."Because his memory of Yang had to be erased."

The room fell silent for a few moments though Rose thought she could hear quiet breathing in the depths of the otherwise muted atmospshere.Slowly but surely,an ambivalence settled in her.The idea of him not remembering all the trouble that had gone on was a great weight lifted off of Rose but then it didn't seem fair.Your past was your past,there was no number of words that could be said that could ever change the past and it needed to be dealt with.

"Who?"she asked him quietly,staring him straight in the eyes."Did you do it or did Yang?"

He averted his eyes over towards his grandson and what might have been an eternity this time passed before Rose heard Laoshi clear his throat lamely and then turned back to her.

"The Doppleganger-err,Yang,injected Jake with some of the dark magic that he was born out of.Ironically,it led to his own defeat and savaged Jake in the process.That is how he was slain.Because Yang unknowingly opened his powers to release that venomous magic into Jake,he also gave him full access to his magic then and it was turned against him by his creator.No matter how much Yang thought he was in control,he still had Jake's make up."

"So Yang was always attatched to Jake."Rose summarised slowly and felt herself gape at the thought."That means all along if he had slain Jake,he would have actually slain himself."

"Yes,and-"He attempted to resume but was cut off as she went on her rambling realisation.

"Since Jake's the original,the creator,if Yang had been slain he wouldn't have been affected at all.Well,he did attribute some of his power to Yang so that amount might've been lost."

"Precisely."Laoshi nodded,a note of impressedness in his voice before continuing on."And they both would have met a fatal fate if Jake hadn't recieved help;if he still knew all of this."

"_Why_?"Rose demanded patiently.

"Because,Rose,he was suffering."his voice grew lower,soberer."All these encounters with Yang Jake were nothing compared to _this _encounter for him.You're absense from his life a couple of months ago were burdening to him.It concerned me but you both resolved it..."

She stayed quiet even as he trailed off,giving him the leisure of no longer being interrupted.

"Over these last several days his stress had built up heavily,this coupled with two factors of Yang nearly slaying him and you seemingly to him dying pushed everything for him over the edge."Laoshi paused,considered and then continued."Evil Dopplegangers do that,they put their creator's through so much horror.For Jake to live he has to forget about Yang fully."

"But nothing else,right?He's forgotten nothing else."Rose asked him,trying to sound normal.

"Nothing else,"Laoshi echoed confirmingly.

There was the squeaking of metal springs and they turned to see Jake on his feet staring at them,clad in a light blue robe and hands invisible in it's pockets,clueless to their discussion.

"Did I miss something?"

Impulsively,Rose got up and caught him around the arms in an embrace."No,nothing at all."

_Presently_...

Rose sat in deep thought,pondering over recent events.Yang had tried to force love out of her by bondaging and blackmailing her but in the end he was no more free himself.Jake still had been his keeper and always had been.Though he would never know it and there was a small part of her that resented him being uninformed,she was just thankful they were alive.

A faint viberation moved on her hip and she knew instantly that the Huntsman was alerting her of his return from having gathered research on her "alibi" when she had went home.She was momentarily filled with a streak of terror when she heard a whistle from up above her.

Curiously,Rose looked up and caught sight of an aerial chase ensuing.Two figures flew up high and passed her where she stood but one of the figures paused slightly,smiled and gave her a quick wave before speeding back up to overtake the apparent bad guy.It was Jake.

Feeling heartened,she smiled and waved back.He may not have remembered one of their most important dreamdates in Paris,he may not remember the experience that the two had had with gaining a stronger relationship when Yang had first shown up.But knowing that he was around,knowing what kind of a person he was and knowing that they would forever and undoubtedly always know each other,was enough for Rose and for the dragon of her dreams.Some day she would be able to tell Jake how she loved him,her one and only one.

The End.


End file.
